Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 17:9
He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth [very] friends.
9. repeateth ] i.e. brings it up again and again, harpeth on it, as R.V. happily renders. Comp. Pro 26:11, “a fool repeateth his folly,” R.V.; “Heb. iterateth his folly,” A.V. marg.
very friends ] Rather, chief friends, as the word is rendered, Pro 16:28.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Seeketh love – i. e., Takes the course which leads to his gaining it.
He that repeateth a matter – The warning is directed against that which leads a man to dwell with irritating iteration on a past offence instead of burying it in oblivion.
Separateth very friends – Better, alienateth his chief friend. The tale-bearer works injury to himself.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
That covereth a transgression; that concealeth, as far as he may, other mens faults against himself, or against their friends.
Seeketh, i.e. findeth or obtaineth, as this word is used here below, Pro 17:19; 11:27.
Love; either
1. To himself. Or rather,
2. To the transgressor or offending friend; he maintains love among friends, as it may be explained from the opposite clause.
That repeateth; that publisheth and spreadeth it abroad; that recalls it to mind after it was past and forgotten.
A matter; or, the matter last mentioned, to wit, the transgression.
Separateth very friends; either,
1. He alienateth his friend from himself. Or rather,
2. He raiseth jealousies and dissensions among friends. This phrase we had before, Pro 16:28.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. seeketh love(CompareMargin). The contrast is between the peace-maker andtale-bearer.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He that covereth a transgression seeketh love,…. He that hides the transgression of another, or of his friend, committed against himself or against another, which he is privy to; but the matter being made up, and the offence forgiven, he forgets it, and no more speaks of it to his friend, or upbraids him with it, nor spreads it among others: such a man shows that he loves his friend, and is desirous that love and friendship should be continued; and this is the way to continue it; and a man that thus seeks it finds it. Or it may be rendered, “he covereth a transgression who seeketh love” i; for “love covereth all things”, Pr 10:12;
but he that repeateth a matter; the matter of the transgression, the thing that has given the offence; that rakes it up again, when it has been covered; upbraids his friend with it, when it has been passed over and forgiven; will frequently hit him on the teeth with it, and talk of it wherever he comes, and spread the knowledge of it in all places: he
separateth [very] friends; he sets the best of friends at variance one with another by such a practice; for this pursued, friendship cannot subsist long among men: he separates his best friend from himself, and himself from him. The word signifies a prince, leader, or governor;
[See comments on Pr 16:28]; and Jarchi interprets it thus;
“he separates from himself the Governor of the world, the holy blessed God.”
i So Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
Note, 1. The way to preserve peace among relations and neighbours is to make the best of every thing, not to tell others what has been said or done against them when it is not at all necessary to their safety, nor to take notice of what has been said or done against them when it is not at all necessary to their safety, nor to take notice of what has been said or done against ourselves, but to excuse both, and put the best construction upon them. “It was an oversight; therefore overlook it. It was done through forgetfulness; therefore forget it. It perhaps made nothing of you; do you make nothing of it.” 2. The ripping up of faults is the ripping out of love, and nothing tends more to the separating of friends, and setting them at variance, than the repeating of matters that have been in variance; for they commonly lose nothing in the repetition, but the things themselves are aggravated and the passions about them revived and exasperated. The best method of peace is by an amnesty or act of oblivion.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Verse 9a-(Verse 9a – See comment on Pro 10:12 b;
Verse 9b – See comment on Pro 16:28.)
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
CRITICAL NOTES.
Pro. 17:9. Repeateth a matter. Most expositors understand this repetition to refer to a revival of a past wrong, but Miller translates He who falls back into an act, i.e., transgresses again after forgiveness.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro. 17:9
HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS AND HOW TO SEPARATE THEM
We have before noticed various ways in which love covers sin or transgression. (See Homiletics of chapter Pro. 15:12, page 157.) This proverb sets forth
I. That he who thus covers sin is a great benefactor of the human race. The great need of a fallen world is such a state of heart as will promote love among men. One of Christs last commands to his disciples was Love one another as I have loved you (Joh. 16:12). And there is no more effectual way of promoting love than by freely forgiving an offence and at the same time endeavouring to turn the transgressor from the error of his way. A stream in winter may, by reason of the biting cold, be congealed into a rock-like solid mass, but when the summer sun shines upon it, it cannot long resist the influence, but melts and begins again to ripple and sparkle under its beams. So a sense of guilt and shame hardens the human heart, but a consciousness that the sin has been freely forgiven and forgotten melts it into contrition and love if it is not utterly dead to moral influences. This is the great power which binds sin-forgiven men and women to Godhaving been forgiven much they love much (Luk. 7:47-50).
II. A man of opposite character is a curse to his race. Friendship is the greatest boon of human existence, and he whose words or deeds tend to break any such tie does his fellow-men a great wrong. There is no more effectual way of doing it than by a constant repetition of the faults of others, either by reminding the offender himself of his shortcomings or by speaking of them to a third person. Solomon may refer to either of these habitsboth are bad, and show a disposition entirely opposed to that of Him who, when he forgave His ancient people, promised that He would remember their sin no more (Jer. 31:34).
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Seeketh love! A beautiful expression, much to be kept in mind! It shows a delight in the atmosphere of lovemans highest elevation in communion with his God (1Jn. 4:16). It implies not the mere exercise of love, where it is presented, but the searching and making opportunity for it. But how seldom do we rise to the high standard of this primary grace, exalted as it is pre-eminently above the best gifts (1Co. 12:31; 1 Corinthians 13.); and illustrated and enforced by no less than the Divine example! (Eph. 5:1-2.) Yet too often it sits at the door of our lips, instead of finding a home in our hearts; forgetting that the exhortation is not, that we should talk of love, but that we should walk in it; not stepping over it, crossing it, walking by the side, but in it, as our highway and course. One step of our feet is better than a hundred words of the tongue.Bridges.
All unnecessary repetition even of real faults comes under the category of scandal, and is sinful and mischievous. You may fancy you are within the limit of blameworthiness, when you are telling no more than what is true: but, if you are telling even truth needlessly, for no good and laudable end, you are chargeable with the offence.Wardlaw.
Alas! how many things are there to be suffered, how many things to be forgotten, bow many things, though seen, to be as it were unseen, that love may be preferred. He that covereth transgression warmeth affection, and he that seeketh the love of man shall be sure to find the love of God. The way to seek and find other things is by uncovering that which is hid; but the way to seek and find love is by covering the offence.Jermin.
If one has been our enemy it has been for some trespass. The best way to abate the enmity is to cover up and smother over, and thus erase from memory our act against him. He that does this seeks love. He who falls back into the wrong, i.e., iterates or doubles over his offence, drives away everything. (See Critical Notes.) Spiritually, a man is not to complain of the alienation of his Maker, if he wilfully retain his sin. If God has given us a special way for covering sin, and we postpone it, and go tumbling back into our acts, the strife is ours.Miller.
There are two ways of making peace and reconciling differences; the one begins with amnesty, the other with a recital of injuries, combined with apologies and excuses. Now I remember that it was the opinion of a very wise man, and a great politician, that he who negotiates a peace without recapitulating the grounds of difference rather deludes the minds of the parties, by representing the sweetness of concord, than reconciles them by equitable adjustment. But Solomon, a wiser man than he, is of a contrary opinion, approving of amnesty, and forbidding a recapitulation of the past. For in it are these disadvantages: it is as the chafing of a sore; it creates the risk of a new quarrel (for the parties will never agree as to the proportions of injuries on either side); and, lastly, it brings it to a matter of apologies: whereas either party would rather be thought to have forgiven an injury than to have accepted an excuse.Lord Bacon.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(9) He that covereth a transgression seeketh lovei.e., one who does not notice, but rather conceals and excuses, anything done against him; that man follows after charity (1Co. 14:1). (Comp. Pro. 10:12.)
He that repeateth a matter, who is always returning to old grievances, alienates (even his) chief friend.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Seeketh love That is, in effect. Some say, seeks to exercise love to others.
Repeateth a matter Or, reporteth what he ought to have kept to himself. Compare Pro 16:28.
Separateth very friends The same word, , ( alluph,) as is rendered “chief friends” in Pro 16:28. It is perhaps to be here regarded as a use of the abstract noun for the concrete noun. The exact force of the expression is about this causes a breach of friendship or intimacy. He causes persons to break off friendship with himself. On “covering transgression,” see on Pro 10:12. Some understand it thus: Frequently reiterating old complaints, or “repeating an offence,” (Miller,) separates friends; or, the noun being singular, a friend that is, from himself.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
v. 9. He that covereth a transgression,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Pro 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth [very] friends.
Ver. 9. He that covereth a transgression, seeketh love. ] In friendship, faults will happen. These must be many of them dissembled, and not chewed but swallowed down whole as medicine pills, for else they will stick in a man’s teeth and prove very unpleasant. See Trapp on “ Pro 10:12 “
But he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
transgression. Hebrew. pasha’. App-44.
very friends = true friends.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 17:9
Pro 17:9
“He that covereth a transgression seeks love; But he that harpeth on a matter separateth chief friends.”
It is the glory of a righteous person not to judge and criticize others; and it is always a mark of forbearance and kindness to ignore sins and mistakes that appear in the lives of others, especially, in this context, those of a close friend or associate. “He that harpeth on a matter” refers to the mention over and over again of a close friend’s alleged error. Such action is extremely irritating and should be absolutely avoided.
Pro 17:9. Septuagint: He who concealeth injuries seeketh friendship. Ones sense of love will cause him not to repeat many things he has heard, even if true, if they are not in the best interests of the one involved (Pro 10:12). Harping on a matter is just the opposite of concealing it, for it utilizes every opportunity to bring it up, to mention it, or to ramble on and on about it. This can be the end of friendship.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
that covereth: Pro 10:12, Psa 32:1, 1Pe 4:8
seeketh: or, procureth
but: Pro 16:28
Reciprocal: Pro 12:16 – but Pro 28:13 – that
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 17:9. He that covereth a transgression That passes by and buries in oblivion a transgression that hath been committed against himself; or that concealeth, as far as he may, other mens faults against their friends or neighbours; seeketh love Takes the best course to preserve friendships and to make himself universally beloved; but he that repeateth a matter Who rakes up that fault again, and objects it afresh when it was forgotten; or that publishes and spreads it abroad; separateth very friends Breaks the strictest bonds of amity, and makes an irreconcileable separation.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth [very] {d} friends.
(d) He that admonishes the prince of his fault makes him his enemy.